The Druid Grove

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Does any one have any tips to help heal tennis elbow? I actually caused the injury, not from playing tennis but from playing too much guitar! It's aparently caused from the grip on the guitar neck or racquet. Had 2 steroid injections, phyio, a brace etc - but no joy! Thanks all.

In the '80s I was in the national Kendo team and almost everybody of the team had some kind of problem with joints, back and all kind of injuries.
We all went to an acupuncturist and had good results. I had problems with my shoulder blade and it was rapidly healed after the acupuncture treatment and I never had problems with it again.
Acupuncture is also known as one of the best remedies for tennis elbow.

Healing Blessings,

"Acupuncture for Tennis Elbow
Study Suggests Treatment Is Effective, Even in Difficult Cases

By Michael Devitt

One of the most frequent injuries suffered by professional athletes and weekend warriors alike is epicondylitis, an inflammation of the muscles and tendons of the forearm.
More commonly known as tennis elbow, it is caused by repeated twisting of the wrist or frequent rotation of the forearm, and can lead to a weakened grip, elbow pain, and damage to the tendons that connect to the humerus, the bone of the upper arm.

Traditional treatment of tennis elbow consists of therapies such as braces, medications, heat, physical therapy and rest, the majority of which are effective in relieving pain but do very little to prevent the condition from recurring. Research from a pilot study presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation in San Francisco suggests that acupuncture not only relieves the symptoms of tennis elbow, it appears to resolve the condition completely.

In the study, Dr. Peter Dorsher, a medical doctor certified in acupuncture, performed acupuncture on 22 patients with varying degrees of tennis elbow. Dorsher used "rounded" acupuncture needles, which are designed to pierce the skin and enter the muscle with as little damage as possible. All of the patients were treated with French energetic meridian therapy, with needles inserted at local points on the elbow in tight myofascial bands.

Each patient was treated between 2-10 times. After an average of 3.9 treatments, a "maximal response" was achieved, with every patient reporting a disappearance of their symptoms. This response also appeared to last much longer than that usually seen in patients using painkillers, braces or other traditional methods. At a mean followup time of 8.5 months after receiving acupuncture, 17 patients (77.3%) experienced a resolution of their symptoms and had returned to full, normal activities; another two patients had returned to normal activities except those that involved heavy lifting in the affected arm.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of Dorsher's study is that many patients had endured months of pain before turning to acupuncture. Subjects in the study group suffered symptoms an average of eight months; six patients had experienced symptoms for more than two years.

Furthermore, nearly every patient who participated had previously attempted to cure their tennis elbow through conventional means, with some patients trying multiple therapies without success before trying acupuncture. Of the 22 subjects in the study, 14 had undergone "extensive hand therapy interventions"; 17 had used an elbow brace or splint; seven received corticosteroid injections for pain relief; and one patient had elbow surgery, all without achieving the desired effect, before turning to acupuncture.

In an interview with Reuters Health, Dorsher said that it was unclear why acupuncture seemed to help patients in the early and latter stages of tennis elbow but added that the needles appeared to immediately loosen the tight muscles around the elbow joint. Acupuncture was found to be so helpful, he noted, that he now performs it as a primary form of treatment.

"This is an extremely powerful tool for pain," he said."

Spirit Medicine Bear

“Every animal knows more than you do.”—Native American Proverb
≈✿≈ We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals ≈✿≈ ~ Immanual Kant ~

Thank you Lily and Spirit Bear.
The Physio started acupuncture at my last visit. So far my elbow doesn't seem to be responding and I am getting a little worried! I know it's early days but she says there isn't any furthur treatment that they can offer if it doesn't work!
If it isn't successful I will ask about shockwave treatment - or at least where I can go to try it.
It would be so good to be able to play my guitar again! Even picking up the kettle would be a bonus!
Thank you to you both.
Nikki.

I would personally avoid the steroid treatment. It may cause harm and long term studies show that it is no better than doing nothing, most of the apparent benefit comes from the anaesthetic rather than the steroids, and a quick fix treatment may encourage people to start doing whatever damged them in the first place all over again. Nearly 90% of people with golfer's or tennis elbow are better within a year even if they do nothing. The important thing is then to avoid it coming back. A complete change to your guitar technique will probably be necessary, as will switching to a guitar with a smaller neck and maybe smaller body (parlour guitar?). If I were you I'd contact the Musician's Union, they will be able to recommend a specialist physio with experience of working with musicians, and I'd try to get a lesson on posture from the best classical guitar teacher you can find. In the meantime find another instrument you can play without pain.

Thanks Corwen.
Really, really annoyingly - I was given a banjo for christmas and that's even more impossible to play!
We have "Hobgoblin" here in the town (it's a folk music shop - I'm sure that you know it), my husband and I are like kids in a sweet shop! Lol. I bought him an Irish flute and a bodhran (spelling?).
I will follow up your advice. That sounds hopeful. Thank you.
Nikki.

With my trouble I've come to the conclusion that use is better than rest, but you have to use it in a different way.

So if your therapist can show you exercises that use the affected muscles, but different from the repetitive movement of playing guitar, you might strengthen the little buggers enough to let you play again. But you'll have to train them dilligently.
That after some instances of the ray gun (ESWT).

bright blessed days, dark sacred nights

Lily

"You cannot reason people out of a position that they did not reason themselves into"
-Ben Goldacre

I have worked thru tennis elbow and its opposite, golfers elbow by using trigger point massage techniques. I wash my hands and get myself into a good place spiritually as intention is important. I personally invoke whatever healing energy seems right for the circumstances. I now rest the affected elbow in the opposite hand if able. With my fingers on the outside of the elbow, I gently feel around for the sore spot or spots. Moving distally or towards the hand just a bit down the probably twangy tendon. Using a pain scale of 1 to 10, 10 being beyond endurance, I never exceed a 5. I gently explore the area by turning the wrist of the sore arm, and perhaps gently flexing and extending my fingers. When I come to a really sore place, again not to exceed a 5, I press on the spot and hold it for 30 seconds. I work my way down the affected tendon or muscle to my wrist. If I ever encounter a pulse, I get off of it. If my hands are in pain I will occasionally lay the affected arm on a table and use my opposite elbow to palpate and apply the pressure needed to release the trigger points.
If I recall the theory, the trigger points are hyper contracted muscle fibers that are causing the surrounding fibers to be starved of oxygen. By pressing on them you are engaging the body to push blood into the area bringing healing oxygen and allowing lactic acid to be washed away. Another theory is that it floods the area with enough endorphins to make it stop hurting for awhile. I think this is some of the compression part of the RICE, Rest Ice Compression and Elevation methodology.
I would encourage you to discuss this with whomever is providing your treatment wherever you are. It works on my English wife.
By the way this is my first post at druidry.org. I've been lurking for a while but have been working the bardic gwersi for a month now. I am not really familiar with you or your medical history and there are many reasons not to or rather contraindications to massage.
As an erstwhile guitarist, I can empathize.
I send this with the best healing intentions ,

Advice from one tennis elbow sufferer to another... (due martial arts.. hahaha and I a studied nursery for a year too)
There is a strap to put just below on the elbow. It easies the movement by it has pressure points on it. So if you strap it on the right place, it will take away pressure from the elbow wrist itself and put it more on the muscles. That makes it easier and usually takes about 4 to 6 weeks before it gets healed. When you feel you overpowered the elbow again, just put it back on. In my country they go for 15€ or so...